Chevrolet’s Open-Top 2020 Corvette C8 Weighs 77 Pounds More Than The Coupe

Unlike its coupe sibling, the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray convertible didn’t get to revel in the hype that usually precedes an important launch. It’s not that the open-top 2020 Corvette C8 isn’t important - in fact, it’s the first Vette fitted with a hardtop - but its reveal was announced back when Chevy was still busy introducing the fixed roof C8 to the world.

What Makes the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Convertible So Special?

Well, you can consider it Chevrolet’s first-ever open-top Corvette that’s also mid-engined. Chevrolet also tells us that its engineers worked hard to keep this version’s practicality credentials unchanged, so it can still hold two sets of golf clubs in the trunk, even when the top is down. The front storage compartment is also retained, so you’d still be able to transport your airline-friendly carry-on and a laptop bag.

Its aero-shaped nacelles (those streamlined casings usually used to protect an aircraft’s engine or engines) fit right into the jet fighter-inspired theme set by the fixed-roof Corvette C8. Not to mention they also bear the functional role of reducing air recirculation into the cabin and a vent which lends a hand when it comes to cooling the mid-mounted V-8.

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What you really want to know, however, is how quickly can one deploy the hardtop. Six electric motors support its motions during opening and closing, with Chevy backing up the decision to switch from hydraulic systems on the e-motors’ reliability. Customers then get to choose between the standard body-colored roof or optional one painted in Carbon Flash Metallic. We don’t know about you, but we’d blindly select the latter, as we feel it boosts the Vette’s exotic appearance even more.

Speaking of functionality, we’re also told that the roof system was designed in such a way that when the roof up combines with the rear spoiler offered in the Z51 Performance Package, they generate the exact amount of drag as in the coupe.

Are There Any Changes In Performance?

The convertible retains the same 6.2-liter small-block LT2 naturally-aspirated V-8 which makes 495 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. Now, according to Autoblog, who had a chat with Corvette lead engineer Tadge Juechter, the extra weight will translate into a 0-60 mph sprint of “about three seconds” which is a tad more than the coupe’s sub-three second sprint time from naught to 60, but we doubt the average driver will be able to tell the difference, really.

The same outlet reports that no additional reinforcements were added to the car - as it’s customary with convertibles - so it’s just as stiff as the coupe and in return, not much heavier.

What About Price?

The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Convertible is priced at $67,495, which is exactly $7,500 more expensive than the entry-level Corvette C8 coupe.

Chevy’s Other Surprise During the C8 Convertible Launch Was the C8.R Race Car

The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R is Chevy’s first mid-engined GTLM race car and it took the stage at the Kennedy Space Center next to the C8 convertible. There’s not much we can tell you about it at the moment because info is scarce, but it should rely on the same V-8 as the road car, plus specific mods on all fronts: suspension, gearbox, transmission, the whole nine yards basically.

What is visible to the eye, however, has to do with the menacing aero body kit the C8.R flaunts in the official press photos. You can still spot that here’s a Corvette C8 in there, but the extra winglets, air scoops, the wider wheel fenders, and the aggressive spoiler, side skirts, and rear diffuser massively alter the car’s ability to cut through the air. The car you see here sports a silver livery which is a nod to the likes of the 1973 Chevrolet Aerovette and 1959 Corvette Stingray Racer.